Facing the Future
by DoubleMoons
Summary: Time Travel Sakura. Thirty-two year old Sakura has seen many of her comrades die and can take no more. She attempts to rectify the world's tragedies by traveling back into the past. There she meets a changed world, different from the one she grew up in. Is her goal still relevant, or are there other dangers lurking in the shadows?
1. Chapter 1

"..ura! Sakura! Are you up yet? If you don't hurry you'll be late!"

Rubbing her eyes, the pink haired girl sat up, white sheets rumpling around her. Blinking her eyes wearily, she took in her surroundings with a sleepy glance. It looked the same as ever; her slightly worn dresser sat across from her bed, on it a mess of girlish objects ranging from lip gloss to a picture of Sasuke. It sat next to her desk, equally covered in frilly objects. "Sakura! Get a move on!" Her mother's voice echoed from downstairs.

Jumping up, she did as she was told. Having always followed her mother's strict orders without much thought, she got dressed automatically. Off came the pale blue nightshirt and matching pants with only minor fumbling. Grabbing a pair of underwear from her dresser, she walked towards her closet. And froze. Fully awake now from the adrenaline rush hearing her mother's commands gave her, her surroundings finally sunk in.

She did not have a worn down dresser, having bought a new-and nicer-one when she had gotten her own apartment. She did not own lip gloss, much less any usable make-up. She did not have a picture of Sasuke either, at least not out in the open. There were no frilly things adorning her desk, only scrolls and the occasional kunai. And she most certainly did not have long pink hair that fell across her face and lower back.

Now excited, she rushed into her bathroom. Could it really be!? Stopping in front of her mirror, a huge grin spread across her face. "SHANNARO!" It had worked! She was back! Her reflection showed a small girl with long locks of pink, no muscles to speak of and no scars to mar the surface of her skin. Wild green eyes danced back at her. She was young!

"Don't yell so loud! Do you want the neighbors to think we're hitting you!?" Clasping her hands over her mouth, Sakura stopped in her celebrating. She had been so wrapped up in the fact that it had worked that her mother's voice hadn't rung any bells before. Now though, it crashed over her. Her mother was alive. And if she was then so was her father...and Ino..Hinata, Neji, Tsunade..everyone..It had been years since she had seen some of her comrades, many lost to battle, some to sickness.

Blinking back the tears pooling in her eyes Sakura stepped away from her reflection. She had made it back, that was good. But when? Judging from her hair length she could be anywhere from eight to twelve. Going towards her closet she contemplated her possible age. Had she been this short when she was twelve? Or was she younger? Was she in her Genin team yet, or had she even taken the final test? Sliding back the door, her clothes answered it for her. Bright yellow shirts entered her vision, coupled with multiple black leggings. She had gone through a yellow phase when she was nine. Looking back, it had been a mistake.

Not wanting to adorn the awful clothing a second time, she stuffed the offending material to the side. Crammed at the bottom were the clothes her father had bought her for her birthday, in the hopes that she would make a wonderfully serious kunoichi. How disappointed he had been when all she had done was fawn over Sasuke...and how happy that had made her mother, who never thought the ninja arts were meant for proper ladies.

Knowing that her mother would lose her temper soon, Sakura grabbed the crumpled clothes and hurriedly put them on. The dark green shirt fitted comfortably, it's long sleeves loose enough to allow her movement, but not so much as to get in the way of maneuvering. The Haruno crest lay on the back as all of her outfits did, proudly proclaiming her civilian heritage. As if anyone cared. The tan leggings sat comfortably below her knees, reminiscent of the ones she had worn when she was twelve. Like all Genin, her kunai pouch was attached to her right leg, cushioned by bandages. Everything said, it resembled the standard issue uniform that most higher ranking ninja wore.

Now dressed, her teeth brushed and hair combed nicely, she went down the stairs to face her parents.

As expected, her mother gasped in shock upon seeing her daughter. "What do you think you're wearing!? What happened to your adorable yellow shirt? And no make-up! How will Sasuke-kun fall for you if you look like a man!?" Forcing a smile, Sakura mumbled a response. While there was a slight twinge of sadness at seeing her mother alive, it was covered up by mild annoyance. She had forgotten how...forceful...her mother was about marrying well. And by well that meant marrying someone with money, making as many babies as possible and generally being the perfect housewife. Something Sakura would be sure to never let happen. "Kizashi! Do you see our daughter!" As Mebuki walked off to complain to him, Sakura took the opportunity to sidle out the door.

As much as she loved her mother and mourned her death, life had been easier without the constant disapproval and talk of what a woman should be. He father, on the other hand, she really had missed. He had been her backbone in her earlier years, the one who really kept her on the path of a kunoichi. If it hadn't been for him, she might have never stepped foot in the academy. His death at the age of eighteen had really hit her hard, and she wasn't sure she could handle seeing him at the moment.

Shaking her head, Sakura trotted down the streets, headed toward the ninja school which she hadn't stepped in for years. Flexing her muscles as she jogged, she was slightly surprised to find how weak she had been. Granted, she hadn't begun training with Tsunade at this point, but she hadn't thought she'd been this weak. Shaking her head and grimacing, the woman-turned girl resolved to put in hours of training to rectify the frailty.

Speaking of training, the girl slowed down to a walk and examined her chakra reserves. While never having been particularly large, what she had at the moment was miniscule. Similar to her strength, she'd have to get this back up to par as well. An idea occurred to her then, and she grabbed a small string of chakra. Pushing it up her spine, she connected the thread to her forehead. Once established, she began moving a small amount into the space, beginning the arduous process of creating the White Strength Seal.

Having learned the technique from Tsunade, Sakura had formed it when she was seventeen, much to the surprise of her peers. Starting the seal earlier could be helpful, the only problem she could see would be in explaining where she learned it from in this timeline. But that could be dealt with later, now she had the task of facing all of her comrades. Alive again.

During her examination of her abilities, Sakura had arrived at the academy. The worn down building looked much happier in this time than it did in the future, when the whole of Konoha had been beaten down by Pein and the Akastuki. In fact, everything looked so innocent now. So happy. So carefree. And here she was, from that bleak future, able to save the people she loved. The thirty-two year old woman turned nine year old girl walked through the doorway, head held high.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting at her desk, Sakura kept her eyes downwards. The smooth wooden surface was marred by years worth of bored academy students idle scratches. Some formed crude words, others an attempt at a star or heart. Running her fingers lightly over a half legible name, she forced herself from looking around.

Coming in to the classroom, she knew seeing some of the faces would hurt. What she had not expected, was the immensity of her sadness. Compared to the small pang she had felt upon seeing her mother, this was horrible. She had only caught a glimpse of her former comrades and tears immediately sprung to her eyes. Knowing her reaction would raise questions, Sakura quickly found a seat and sat down.

It had been hard, oh so hard, to live on without her friends. Seeing them now, she should be overcome with happiness. But...along with the knowledge that they were well came the depressing fact that they weren't hers anymore. She hadn't shared her life with these younger versions. The only Sakura Haruno they knew was a shallow, stupid, fangirl.

"Alright, alright. Settle down." Wrenching her from her thoughts, Iruka's voice called to the class, "Come on now, we have to get going." The chunin looked the same as ever. Brown hair pulled into a high tail, slightly puffy scar crossing his nose. He was one of the few that hadn't been lost to the damnable war with Pein. "Now, we're going to start with some basic chakra theory. Can anyone tell me how chakra is used to formulate clones?" Seeing Iruka's slight shift of the eye in her direction, Sakura realized with a jolt that she had usually been the one to answer these questions.

Not looking at anyone else in the classroom, Sakura diligently raised her hand. At Iruka's nod, she replied, "The user pushes their chakra throughout their body, getting a reading of the different structures. The information is then pushed out, with the help of hand seals, into the physical world. Once out there, the chakra automatically takes on the form of the user, based on the data it has received, thus creating a clone."

"Very good Sakura-chan. Now, can anyone else tell me the problems that can arise when doing this technique?" Looking back down at her desk, and avoiding others gazes, Sakura tensed up. A memory flickered in the back of her mind. Furling her brow, she concentrated on the thought. Suddenly, it overwhelmed her, pushing away the class she was currently sitting in...

_...She was running. Running because she new there was little time in which to act. Rushing through the forest, she ignored the branches whipping at her exposed skin. Reaching into her jounin vest, she pulled forth the scroll Naruto had given her._

_Everything depended on this, if she missed her chance it was all over. Feeling a surge of chakra signatures ahead, she landed on a branch in a crouched position. Retracting her own chakra, she took a moment to asses what was happening. If she remembered Kakashi's instructions correctly, when there were four chakra signatures, as there were now, then Obito was trapped under the rock. He must be the weakening signature Sakura felt. Now was the time to act then. Stealthily the jounin approached the battlefield, keeping her senses attuned to the chakra's ahead of her. Pausing on the edge of a rocky outcropping, Sakura took in the scene in front of her._

_As she had predicted, Obito was currently underneath a gigantic boulder. She recognized him from the picture Kakashi had shown her. And if that was the Uchiha, than the girl next to him must be Rin. Kakashi himself was easy to spot, his bushy white hair the same as when he was older. Realizing that she needed to move now, Sakura jumped from her hiding place, landing next to the trapped boy._

_Ignoring the exclamations of surprise her appearance had garnered, Sakura grabbed the boulder and thrust if off of Obito. The entire right side of his body was crushed, blood pouring out of many orifices. As gently as she could, she picked him up in one arm, sending waves of medical chakra to stop the bleeding. The brown haired girl kneeling next to the spot Obito had just vacated seemed to remember herself and demanded, "W-who are you!? What are y-you doing w-with Obito?"_

_Barely sparing the girl a glance, she grabbed Rin in her other arm and looked to Kakashi, "We need to go now. No, don't question me. If we don't act your friend will die." Kakashi, realizing the desperate situation he was in, decided to follow the older woman's instructions. The only faith he could place in her came from the Konoha headband she wore._

_As both jounin jumped away from the fallen rocks, the ceiling collapsed, almost burying the startled enemy nin standing there. As it was, the Iwagakure ninja had come to his senses just in time and was now in hot pursuit of the fleeing ninja, his concealed comrades falling in line behind him._

_Sakura dashed through the trees, slowing down her pace to keep in time with the younger Kakashi. He looked thoroughly worn out, blood spattered his clothing accompanied by many cuts and bruises. He would only hinder her when it came down to a fight. Suddenly stopping, she lay down the injured boy and frightened girl. Using a commanding voice, Sakura issued out orders, "Rin, I need to to begin healing Obito. I have already stopped the major bleeding, all you need to do is to keep him alive. Kakashi, keep guard over them. I'll take care of the Iwa ninja."_

_Kakashi nodded, and took a defensive position by his two team members. Rin hesitated, but at a look from Sakura she pushed her medical chakra over Obito. Sakura turned to face the incoming ninja, chakra pooling in her fist. Despite their numbers, she was fairly certain she could take them._

_As the first ninja came into view Sakura leaped. Dodging his kunai swing, she landed a punch on his jaw, breaking it and sending him flying backwards. He would not be getting back up. Two more Iwa nin came into view, but exercised more caution. They had seen what the pink haired woman had done to their comrade, and were wary. Taking a leaf out of Naruto's book, sakura formed the hand seals for the Shadow Clone Justu. While she could never create as many as her blonde friend, two would be sufficient for this fight._

_With a chakra enforced jump, Sakura and her clones were above the two enemy ninja, deadly kunai in their grasp. But before Sakura could land a strike, the world shifted around her. "Dammit, not now..."_

_Kakashi watched with shock as their pink haired savior disappeared in mid-air, clones poofing out of existence, only to be replaced by the familiar head of his sensei. "Sorry I'm late, took a while to get here..._

...The nine year old Sakura jerked, her mind brought back to the present. Mere minutes had passed by in the academy classroom, no one noticing that she had spaced out. Those memories, they were...they were right after she'd gotten back into the past, still in her old body. That's right! She, Naruto and Kakashi had devised a plan, a way to make sure that everyone survived this time around! Saving Obito had been the first part of it, but what happened after? And why was she now in her younger body? Still questioning what was going on, Sakura forced her attention back onto Iruka. She would explore Konoha later, for surely those events had to have changed something?


	3. Chapter 3

This was not possible. There was absolutely _no way_ saving one little Uchiha brat could have done this. No. Freaking. Way...

Sakura finished the rest of her academy classes without further mishap. She had avoided looking at people directly, only mumbling in response to the questions they asked her. While she'd gotten some weird looks for her behavior, no one thought much about her quietness. After all, girls did have a tendency to act oddly at times. It helped that young Sakura didn't have many close friends at this age, owing to her fight with Ino the previous year. So no one was there to bother her. Vaguely she remembered this having saddened her when she was nine the first time around, thinking people hated her.

After class had gotten out, Sakura walked around Konoha, noting the differences from her time. It was obviously bigger, having never been brought down by Pein, but the atmosphere had also taken a complete 180. People were more trusting, smiles came to faces with ease. There was also a notable lack of orphans running around the streets, a problem that had been difficult to rectify in her time. All in all, it was a much happier place.

None of this had shocked Sakura, she hoped it would be a better place. Expected it, in fact. The thing that had her stopped in her tracks, questioning her sanity, was a certain district. A district that, for all intents and purposes, should not be here.

Mouth gaping open dumbly, Sakura could only watch as families milled about, going on with their daily lives. As children ran down the streets, chasing a red ball without a care in the world. Teenagers walked around in groups, giggling at every little thing. Shinobi stood guard, on the lookout for any trouble yet not expecting any. All wearing the proud red and white symbol of the Uchiha on their backs.

"The Massacre...never...happened..." Sakura muttered under her breath, hardly able to believe it. This could not all be possible because she saved Obito. That was too huge a change from something so small. Had she...had she done something else? Were there more memories that she was missing? If so, why was she back in her younger body? What else could there be to- "Are you alright Miss?"

Jerking around, Sakura found herself face to face with none other than Itachi Uchiha. Instinct kicking in, Sakura leapt back, and automatically went for her kunai holster. She landed in a battle ready crouch, kunai drawn and avoided his sharingan gaze. If she watched his torso, she could predict when he would strike and block his attack. Fully intent on next movement, she was confused when he didn't budge. Was he waiting for her to make the first strike? If so, he would have to learn to be patient. There was no chance in hell she was going to strike first against an S-class criminal, no matter his loyalty to Konoha.

As seconds ticked by, Sakura became aware of the stares her actions were getting her. Idiots, didn't they realize that a member of the Akastuki was in their midst? Even if he was supposedly dead, they couldn't let down their guard so- wait. Dead? Blinking, Sakura realized that if the Massacre hadn't happened, then Itachi wouldn't be a missing nin. And if he wasn't a missing nin...she had just freaked out for no apparent reason.

Now blushing and cursing her stupidness, Sakura stood up and holstered her kunai. In an attempt to hide her embarrassment, she straightened out the non-existent folds in her green shirt. Gathering her courage, the pink haired girl slowly walked over to the former Akastuki member and steadfastly ignored the stares pointed her way.

Itachi, to his credit, took the whole thing in stride. The girl obviously had been deep in thought when he spoke to her, anyone would be spooked in that situation. Still, a little scare didn't necessitate that level of defensive maneuver. She had looked at him as if he were a real threat. Seeing the girl approach him, he pushed back his thoughts to examine later.

Now in front of Itachi, Sakura raised her gaze to his, meeting black. Not red. Shoving her pride away, she apologized, "I'm sorry for...reacting...like that. I was just, er, surprised," Not knowing quite else to say, Sakura waited for his response.

"It's quite alright. I was the one who interrupted your thoughts, it was only natural you'd react accordingly," Sakura grimaced, she hadn't 'reacted accordingly' at all. But if he was fine with letting the awkwardness pass so was she.

"Again, I'm sorry. I, uh, have to go now. Someplace to be, you know?" And with that, Sakura bowed slightly and hurried off, Itachi watching her retreat.

Walking away, Sakura knew that if she had stayed in his presence any longer she might have done something even more suspicious. As it was, the encounter gave her something important to ponder. If Itachi was here and not in the Akastuki, were the other members still the same? Pein, Nagato and Konan she knew to be the three original members; but who else was aligned with them? Knowing that this would take some investigation that couldn't be done in her current position, Sakura changed her direction towards the training fields.

Sakura arrived at area four, one of the few grounds allowed to genin. A large body of water took up most of the field, a lone island sitting in it's middle. Taking a position at the edge of the water, Sakura began stretching her muscles. While the new life of the Uchiha's gave her much to think about, she couldn't focus on any single thing. Her mind continually jumped from one topic to the next.

Sasuke had a family now, how would his personality differ because of that? What were the political ramifications of the Massacre not happening, was the council still in power? Did Obito survive even? Had her actions affected Kakashi's life in any way, or was he still broken? What was Itachi like? From what she had read in his file and from Sasuke's recount of his childhood, Itachi had been a major pacifist-a morality at odds with his profession.

Getting a headache from her ramblings, Sakura finished her stretching and set off at a fast jog around the lake. For now, she would focus on brining her strength up, along with her chakra control and ninjustu. Despite her natural affinity for genjustu, Sakura had never delved deeply into the ninja art so had nothing to improve upon in that area.

Panting, the girl finished her first lap. This was pathetic, even the worst academy student had to have more stamina than this. Granted, she was only nine. But in the ninja world, age was no excuse for poor skills. Scoffing at her younger self, Sakura started her second lap, determined to get at least five in.

After an excruciating amount of time, so much so that the sun was dipping towards the horizon, Sakura accomplished her goal. She slowed down to a walk, letting herself cool off. Feeling that her body was close to exhaustion, Sakura had to admit that this was all she could do for the day. She couldn't even work on her chakra reserves. Most of her chakra control was focused on feeding a thin string into her White Seal, she had no power to do anything else with it. Surrendering to defeat the tired girl began the long walk home.

With all of this going on, facing her parents didn't seem as hard as before.


	4. Chapter 4

"Whoever thought waking up before the sun rises was a good idea should rethink their priorities," Once again mumbling to herself, Sakura continued stretching her legs. Already sore from yesterday, she had thought it would be a smart to get a couple of laps around the neighborhood before heading off to the academy. Obviously, this had been a mistake.

While she had never been a morning person, her older body was better at handling getting up. Her nine year old body? Not so much. Slowly, Sakura stood and urged her tired legs forward; ignoring the ache she felt with each step. To add to her annoyance, she had found out that she couldn't stream chakra to her Seal overnight; having had to connect the two upon waking up. Ah well, at least there was the whole day ahead of her to explore the other changes made by her coming back to the past. Thinking about her plan of action, the girl found it easier to handle the mild pain.

Sakura knew she'd have to talk to people today, lest she arouse suspicions. One day of anti-socialness was allowed in the preteen world, two was absolutely unforgivable. But...facing her former comrades would be difficult. Some more so than others.

Naruto, with his goofy grin, would be easier since he had been alive last she had known. Kakashi as well, although she wouldn't see him for a while if this timeline played out the same as her old one. At least regarding teams. Sasuke, well, he would be harder. The last time Sakura had seen him was on his deathbed. She could picture the scene clearly in her mind, even now, years after it had happened. Her black haired team mate, laying there on the frozen ground, blood pooling underneath him. Dim coal eyes staring up at nothing, hating the world for ending him. The source of his injury his own katana protruding through his chest. Put there by none other than Sakura herself...

Breath hitching, the pink haired girl stopped in her tracks. No tears blossomed in her eyes, she'd been unable to cry for him for a long time. Instead, the familiar dead feeling in her chest appeared; an old friend come back to play. Grasping the front end of her dark red shirt -a gift from her dad, who rejoiced in his "sweet little kunoichi's" newfound appreciation for the ninja arts- Sakura could only wait for the awful moment to pass.

Long seconds ticked by before she could stand upright, and even then she was shaky. It had been a while since she'd thought of that...of murdering her teammate. Not that she'd forgotten it. No, that would stay with her forever; the slight tug of resistance as she'd sunk the blade into his flesh until it would go no farther. The small gasp of pain the proud Uchiha had allowed himself before falling to the snow covered ground. And finally the brief thanks in his eyes, before Orochimaru overcame him.

Shuddering, Sakura shook her head violently. It had to be done. He was gone, taken away by the Sanin who controlled him. The man who'd promised him power only to grab it for himself. Orochimaru. Now past her sickness, Sakura could only feel pure loathing towards the man who'd ruined it all. The immortal snake. Compared to Sasuke's, his death had been rejoiced.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Sakura whipped around. Once again she found herself face to face with Itachi Uchiha. However, this time she recalled her senses and managed to block the driving urge to fall into a defensive position. "A-ah. Uchiha-san. I, yes. Yes, I'm fine,"

The corners of his eyes crinkled in silent mirth, "Good. I would rather not scare you every time we met. Think of what the people would say?" In answer to this, Sakura could only gape. Had that been a joke? From Itachi? Before she could respond, an annoyed voice behind the elder Uchiha piped up.

"Aniki, I thought we were going to practice before class started?" Sasuke's head peered around his brother, staring at the suddenly paler girl. What was up with her? Not another bothersome fan-girl? Tch, he had enough of those already.

"Hmm, yes we were. Well, I suppose this is goodbye..?" Realizing he wanted her name, Sakura managed to give a tiny "Sakura Haruno", her chest having constricted painfully upon sight of the younger Uchiha.

"Goodbye then Haruno-chan," And with a following grunt from Sasuke, the two brothers took their leave. Staring at their backs in silence, Sakura knew that she too should get going. Never before had the girl been late to the academy, and she certainly wouldn't start now.

Sighing and turning around, the thirty two year old woman could only lament her past and the choices she had been forced to take. They had been tough, but necessary. As she made her slow way back to her house, the girl let her mind wander; trying not to think of anything in particular.


	5. Chapter 5

Once home, Sakura gave a quick greeting to her parents before running upstairs to her room. There, she grabbed her faded yellow schoolbag (god that freakin yellow phase), crammed her long hair into a messy pony tail and trotted back down. Without looking at the mirror once.

Fully intent on making a quick exit, the girl was stopped by an exclamation from her father, "Oh how wonderful you look in daddy's ninja gear! I knew that jacket would suit you! Come here and let my hug you my darling-" Laughing, Sakura waved a goodbye and walked out the front door. He would go on for hours if she didn't stop him. Glancing down, she did have to give him credit. The dark red jacket looked nice, and it was functional too. At least, compared to the stuff her mother bought her. The jacket was reminiscent of the uniform worn by ninja. Differing in it's higher collar, longer sleeves and color.

Outside in the fresh air again, Sakura breathed deeply. There really wasn't anything that could compare to the cool Konoha air. One of her favorite pasttimes had been simply jumping the roofs of her village. Grinning widely now with an idea, she picked up her pace. Heading straight for a little shop, she gathered a small amount of chakra in her legs before leaping upwards.

Ah, nothing could beat that air. Maneuvering the rooftops, Sakura felt a little more at home in her old village.

After a few minutes, the pink haired girl landed with a loud thump before the academy doors. Hmm, she'd have to work on her landings a bit... any half-decent ninja within a mile would have heard that. "Sakura-chan! That was awesome! You looked so cool jumping like that!"

Nothing but warmth filled her as Sakura turned around to face her blonde friend. Glad for the lack of sadness she expected upon seeing her comrade, Sakura smiled in reply, "Naruto! It's good to see you!" She stepped forwards to ruffle his hair. Her hand was extended halfway before she remembered that this wasn't _her_ Naruto. Letting her hand fall back to her side awkwardly, Sakura continued to smile at the boy.

He looked much the same. Goofy grin, whisker marks and orange pants. The only notable change was his lack of orange jacket; a black tee shirt was in its place. Not that she was complaining, the thing had been an eyesore. And really, what kind of ninja wore orange? The same kind that defeated the Akastuki, she answered for herself. But still, the coat had looked ridiculous.

Caught up in her thoughts, it took Sakura a minute to realize the silence the two had fallen into. Glancing at Naruto's face, she saw he wore a stunned expression, mouth drooping open comically. What was his problem? Oh, wait. She had probably been mean to him before now, always chasing after 'Sasuke-kun'...sometimes she really did hate her younger self.

Determined to brush off his surprise, Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the building, "Come on Naruto, I'm not gonna be late because of a knuckle-headed ninja like you." The bemused boy, for his part, took her change in attitude without question; at least, he didn't verbalize any.

Marching down the hall, the pair passed a few older jonin milling about. With a pang, Sakura recognized Asura and Kurenai who were talking jovially. Grimacing in remembrance of Asuma's funeral, Sakura continued to drag a now complaining Naruto along. His voice got louder the closer they were to the classroom, "Sakura-chaaaan, you're gripping my arm reeeaaaly tight. I mean, I like holding hands and all but it huuurts..."Loosening her grip the girl could only giggle at his words, they were so _Naruto_ like.

Before entering the classroom, Sakura let go of his arm all together. Wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea. While the older Naruto was perfectly happy with being her friend, the younger one still claimed notions of love for her. Which was silly really, since all she had ever done was fawn over Sasuke. Heh, guess they were both fools.

Looking back at him, Sakura proposed, "Hey, let's sit together, okay?" At an answering nod from him accompanied by a huge grin and blush, she set off to find a seat. Having been later than she usually was, many of the chairs were taken. In fact, the only two side-by-side seats available were ones right next to their third team member. Well, future team member. If things still stayed the same in that regard.

Worrying slightly about a possibility of team changes, Sakura plopped down next to Sasuke; ignoring the glares from other females around the room. Without glancing at the dark haired boy next to her, she greeted him, "Good morning Sasuke" She got nothing in reply. Ass.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL SASUKE-KUN!?"

Sakura jumped in surprise. Had she said that last part aloud? Judging from the scowl on Ino's face and Naruto's laughter from her right, she guessed she had. Glaring up at her rival, Sakura retorted, "You got a problem with that?" Really, he was being a jerk. He didn't even say goodbye properly this morning! Just a stupid grunt!

"YES I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT FOREHEAD! THIS IS SASUKE-KUN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM AN A-" Not able to finish the word, Ino growled in frustration.

"I'm sorry, was the word you were looking for lost in that empty mind of yours? Or did your thought die of loneliness mid-sentence?"

_Snort_.

Huh? Whipping her head around, Sakura was shocked to see the culprit of the smothered laugh. Sasuke was currently covering his mouth, an amused look on his face that he was clearly trying to hide. And failing. Seeing the girls eyes on him, the Uchiha was quick to put his usual scowl back into place.

While Ino looked devastated that her crush had snorted at her, however briefly, Sakura was amazed. Sasuke had laughed. _He had laughed_. That's when it clicked into place. While this was no longer the Sasuke she knew, that was okay. Because her Sasuke had been an unemotional twat, no matter how much she loved him. This Sasuke still had his clan, his family, his happiness.

He wouldn't have his brother to chase down and kill. He wouldn't have to follow Orochimaru for power to complete his revenge-twisted goal. He wouldn't be subsequently taken over by the snake bastard. He wouldn't have to die. And Sakura wouldn't have to hurt him again.

It had finally dawned the girl that she could make this world better. Hell, she _had_ made it better already. Sasuke had his family. Naruto didn't look so lonely. A somber expression crossed her face as Sakura promised to herself that she would protect her loved ones new lives.


	6. Chapter 6

Eyes snapping open, the man bolted upright; quite the unusual action for him. Always careful and graceful with his movements, it was quite the change to see him leap out of bed and dash across the room. This difference would have been humorous, had it not been for the circumstances.

Panting slightly from the thoughts whirling inside of his head, the somewhat disheveled man ripped open the door leading to his bathing area. He stopped in front of the cracked sink, staring into the dirty mirror above it.

Long black hair greeted his vision, accompanied by familiar pale features. Reaching out slowly, the stunned man lightly touched his reflection. Was this real? Was that really him, alive and well? If it was then how-

A small knock echoed from the other room. "Sir? I have the patient you requested. May I enter?" Brought back from his musings, the older man grinned, showing off slightly pointed teeth. It was not a happy sight, this smile.

A hissing escaped the black haired one's lips, "Yes, do come in." The door opened behind him, though he continued gazing at his reflection. At a confused shuffle from the other room, he added, "In here. Come now, don't be shy."

Without hesitation or any conceived shyness, a bespectacled man entered the restroom dragging a half-dead person behind him. "My lord", the short greeting, conveying a question, came from the glasses wearing man.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for fetching our guest Kabuto, so very kind of you." Turning around to face his latest victim, Orochimaru's twisted smirk widened. His hand absently touched his chest where, what felt like minutes before, Sasuke's sword had resided. A low chuckle escaped his lips. He truly was master of death.

.

.

.

Sakura twisted her torso, barely missing the kunai. Whipping her head in the direction it had come from, she was greeted by the sight of a blond pony tail slipping out of sight. Damn that Ino-pig, attacking her while she was distracted. At a sound behind her, the annoyed girl turned to face her first opponent.

Being the gentleman that he was, Sasuke had waited for her to dodge the ambush by closing the distance between them. With no time to react, Sakura took the punch in her jaw. Using the momentum the blow gave her, she jumped backwards out of Sasuke's reach. Naruto was right, he really could be a bastard.

Seeing the disgruntled look he gave the wooden kunai thrown by Ino, Sakura amended her thought. Okay not a bastard. Just a tactical jerk. Prepping herself for another strike, the pink haired girl was disappointed when the sound of a bell cut through the clearing.

"It's over already?" Green eyes blinking, Sakura faced the voice of the complaint. Sasuke seemed equally surprised at his words, as he quickly resumed his usual scowl. "Not that I care, you were weak anyways."

Grinding her teeth Sakura snapped back at him, "If I'm so weak why do you look tired?" He ignored her, opting to walk back to their instructor. Knowing she had won this round, Sakura followed him. Although, her own steps were a little staggered; he hadn't been an easy opponent.

Stopping in front of Iruka, the two waited for the rest of the ninja's-to-be to appear. Classroom instruction had ended a few hours ago, practical training having commenced afterwards. After some basic warm ups and exercises, the academy students had been told to spread out across the forest. The purpose? To engage in mock fights with whomever they happened upon. With Sakura's luck, the first person she'd run into was Sasuke-one of the top fighters in the class.

Despite the minuscule amount of muscles her nine year old body had, the girl had been able to keep up with the dark haired boy. She hadn't had three decades of practicing the ninja arts for nothing. Using her quick mind and sharper senses, she had managed to give Sasuke a run for his money. Not that she hadn't ended up with her fair share of bruises.

"Sakura-chan! You won't believe this! I had to fight Hinata, you know the really really quite girl! I thought it'd be easy, ya know? But it wasn't, right Hinata? She's really good!" Naruto bounced up to Sakura, Hinata timidly trailing behind him. Did that boy always have to shout? Shaking her head fondly, Sakura smiled warmly at him.

"Hello to you too Naruto. You as well Hinata" The shy girl nodded in reply, her gaze on the blond boy in front of her. The dark haired girl looked the same as she did at twelve, if only smaller. Her short locks framed her face, emphasizing her delicate features. Her outfit was simple, consisting of purple capris and a tan tee shirt. Red flames adorned the shoulders of said shirt, encased in their usual yellow circle. "Come on you two, we have to listen to Iruka...sensei."

Not noticing her hesitation, they happily walked over to the chunin. Adding the honorific had been odd for Sakura, since she'd been specifically told not to upon gaining her jonin rank. It'd been the same with all of the upper ranking ninja she'd met. Sakura didn't even want to think about meeting Kakashi again, as the two had become accustom to using slightly mocking nicknames to rile up the other. It had been a sort of tradition between them to see who would come up with the better insult. Of course, it had all been in good fun. Nothing serious was ever uttered, lest one of them take it to heart.

Breaking out of her reverie, Sakura jogged to catch up to her classmates; who were already gathered around their sensei. She slipped in between Naruto and Sasuke, who'd been arguing in whispers about something trivial.

.

.

.

Underground in his current lair, Orocimaru frowned. To take Konoha would require careful planning, he couldn't rush in like last time. True, getting rid of the fourth Kazekage had been an added bonus in his first plan; but it had prompted the Sand village to unite with Konoha against him. If he were to overthrow his old village successfully, he would have to take extra measures.

Time wasn't critical, he would gladly take years for this plan to form completely. Just as long as he got his due. Once again his hand drifted to his chest, as it had been doing all day. Most importantly he would take pleasure in ripping the life from the pink haired bitch who'd killed him.


	7. Chapter 7

_Running. She was running again, gasping for breath, hoping to make it in time. Bypassing burning buildings, crying children and broken bodies. She could not help them. No, rather, their suffering was inconsequential. Smirking without mirth, the woman wondered when she had become so cold. Used to be she'd stop to save a poor bunny with a broken leg. Anything to help anyone. But now..Now she had a job to do, a mission._

_Reaching the outer wall at last, the pink haired jonin took a moment to gaze at the sight before her. The giant fox Kurama razed the outskirts of Konoha, it's power like a hot iron against her temples. Facing it was the Yondaime on his giant toad. His hands were a blur, forming the seals that would ensure his death and the village's survival._

_Without thinking Sakura lunged, chakra in her legs propelling her upwards towards the Yellow Flash. She was too late for Kushina but she'd be damned if she didn't save at least one of Naruto's parents. He'd worked so hard on the justu that would save them. She couldn't let him down._

_At the top of the toad, the woman was by the Hokage's side in an instant. Ignoring his protests she brought her hands to his forehead, pumping her own chakra into him. With the chakra, she infused her thoughts-giving him the reason for her interference._

_While at first he resisted, the Yondaime was too caught up in his jutsu to have any mobility; instead, he let the information wash over him with the pink haired woman's chakra. And what he gleaned shocked him deeply. If this kunoichi was correct, then he would be able to secure the nine-tails without giving his own life...Blinking back tears Minato's resolve hardened. Putting his faith in the unknown ninja, he let her take charge of the seal._

_And take charge she did. Grasping onto the strands of the jutsu, Sakura molded her chakra with the Yondaime's, manipulating both. Once together, she was able to direct the flow of physical energy of Kurama through Minato and his toad, into the ground. Using up all of her concentration, Sakura allowed the man beside her to push the Spiritual energy of the fox into baby Naruto. Working together and sharing their chakra, they could concentrate fully on their separate tasks._

_Sweating, Sakura once again felt her time running up. Just like with Kakashi, there was a slight tilt to the world. Breathing harshly she put all of her focus on the flow of chakra. The sealing was almost done...if only she could make it. Hands shaking now, she tried to make that final push to completion._

_The world shifted around her and she was gone, the justu incomplete._

_._

_._

_._

Bolting upright the younger Sakura grimaced. Her head was one massive ache. Reaching up, she tenderly cradled her forehead. Another memory. So she hadn't disappeared completely after saving Obito, only travelled further up the time stream. But how?

Rubbing her head realization struck her. Naruto's seals. It had to be.

Her coming back had been planned, hoped for really. Naruto and Kakashi, unable to cope with the world they were in, worked on a impossible jutsu to transport someone into the past. It had been a last ditch plan, brought on by too many comrades dying and seeing their home destroyed. Kakashi, with his extensive knowledge of jutsu, had formulated the outline. While the specifics were still hazy, Naruto had been able to translate it down into a rudimentary seal. Working together, they'd refined the seal and accompanying jutsu until it would work. Or, at least, until they hoped it would work.

All they needed was a transportee. Kakashi wouldn't work, the sharingan had interfered with his chakra network and would be too difficult to compensate for. Naruto would be working as the power source for the seal, so he was out. Tsunade was in a coma, Jiraiya dead, all of the rookie nine passed on as well, and most of the capable jonin were out on the battlefield. Sakura was really their only option, having had to stay at the hospital and govern it in Tsunade's stead.

So she'd agreed. Those had been her friends and comrades as well.

But never would Sakura have dreamed Naruto to have designed the seal so complexly. The level of mastery it'd have taken to specify when she would appear was mind boggling. Smiling fondly Sakura could only concede that her knuckle-headed ninja made a fine Hokage. No one else could have accomplished his feats.

Still smiling to herself, the girl got out of the bed sheets she was tangled in. Going about her morning activities without much thought, she was able to ponder the new memory that had surfaced. Minato Nimakaze had survived the Kuubi attack. Or, at least, she assumed so. Why else would the villagers treat Naruto with such kindness; in her time, he hadn't received that recognition until he'd saved Konoha from Orochimaru-Sasuke. His father had to be alive this time around.

Pulling on her red jacket, hair pushed back into the pony-tail she seemed to favor, Sakura trotted down the stairs. Saying a quick goodbye to her mother and father, she jumped up onto the rooftops and started towards the academy. If the Yondaime survived then was he still-

Sakura barely stopped herself from falling off of a shopkeepers roof. Gazing up at the mountain that held the Hokage's portraits she felt a creeping sense of dread fill her. There were five heads. _Five_. Staring blankly at the farthest on on the right the girl's heart stopped. There, where Tsunade's head had rested so proudly before, was Danzo's face.


	8. Chapter 8

She was panicking yes, but did people really have to stare so much? Was a lone girl wandering the street hyperventilating so odd? Surely someone must understand why she was so freaked. She couldn't be the only one terrified with Danzo as her Hokage? No, not _her_ Hokage. Just _the_ Hokage. The only one who would ever be her's was Naruto. Naruto...oh god. If Danzo was Hokage then what happened to Minato?

Now truly scared (she had come back to make Naruto's life easier dammit!), Sakura gathered what little wits she had at the moment and jumped back up onto the rooftops. She'd had to go down on the streets after seeing Danzo's face, or else risk falling off in her haze of fear. Back above the village, with less prying eyes, she took a moment to orient herself. Where did the Namikaze's live? She knew they had their own settlement, but it's location had been kept quiet in her time.

Thinking back to the instructions Naruto had given her, she mentally traced the map. They were located behind the Hokage's tower, in the woods bordering the mountains. Right now she was currently in the town's bigger market area, so she would have to head northeast then. Now with a set destination in mind, Sakura ignored the small part of her that was reminding her of the academy class that would be starting soon. It would be okay to miss class this once, for a reason this important. Right?

Shaking off her doubts, the to-be ninja continued crossing the rooftops. Passing a couple of higher ranking chunin and jonin, she tensed when the tower came into view. Just beyond this lay the Namikaze clan area. Where she would find out if her endeavors against the Kuubi had worked.

.

.

.

Landing on a tree bordering the compound, Sakura raked her eyes over the buildings before her. They looked well tended too. But that meant little. With the knowledge of seals the clan contained, simple scrolls to keep the buildings looking new were easy to procure. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the pink haired girl searched for her center and drew out a thin web of chakra.

Taking the net, she carefully cast it over each building one by one. Since practically all of the decedents of the Namikaze clan were deceased the buildings she combed were empty. Fear fluttering in her chest, Sakura continued her search for the former Hokage. House after house she checked. And still no sign of life.

"Please..." The words were barely a whisper, a desperate hope. He had to be here. Naruto had to be happ- there! In one of the side buildings a faint chakra signature rested. It was awake and very much alive. Not probing deeper into the chakra Sakura smiled broadly. She wanted to leap and shout with joy, but Sakura contained herself. There was a real chance that this wasn't Minato, she would have to go to the house in person. Reeling in her chakra, the girl began her journey around the border of the compound. If she went straight through there was a chance she'd hit a trap. Sticking to the edge was safer.

Once on the other side, with no mishaps or traps triggered, she did a quick survey of the house. It was smaller than the others but more homey looking. The white brick walls were topped with a dark shade of red, a pretty combination. The windows were large and open to let the summer breeze flow throughout the house. That had the added bonus of bringing in the gardens luscious scent.

Peering through one of the windows, Sakura could see a man laying on a comfy blue sofa. His feet were propped up on one of the armrests and his head lay on the other, out of her sight. Wanting to confirm that this was indeed Minato, she jumped down to a lower branch-but still above the wall surrounding the compound. Once in position, Sakura could see the entirety of the person.

A mop of yellow hair adorned his head, falling in wild bangs around his face. His eyes were a shocking blue, the exact same as Naruto. In fact, he could be a kage buushin of her blonde friend. The only thing missing were the scratch marks on his cheeks.

Sakura couldn't help but sigh in relief. This could only be Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage. Naruto still had his dad.

Happiness for her comrade fading, a small frown adorned the pink haired girls face. If Minato was alive, then why was Danzo Hokage? What happened that had changed things so drastically? First the Uchiha Massacre was nullified and now this...

Shaking her head ruefully, Sakura knew she really shouldn't be so surprised. Nothing in life was ever fully good. Everything came with some crap. Thinking on it, it seemed as if all of the major events in her life had come with a good and bad side.

First there was becoming a kunoichi in general. She had gotten her father's full fledged suppport and her mothers ire. Then there was falling in love with Sasuke. She had gained a new part of growing up but lost her friend in the process. After that she had started training with Tsunade and gotten serious about being a ninja when Sasuke had left Konoha. When Kakashi finally started taking notice of her, Naruto left with Jiraiya to become stronger. Naruto returned, with his master dead. Sasuke returned, his master inside of him. Naruto had become the village hero, Pein attacked. The village got back on it's feet, Tsunade went into a coma. And now this. Sakura was back in the past with no clue as to what to do. Everything she had known had changed. She was lost.

Minato's sudden movement shook her out of her depressing thoughts. He was standing up and stretching slowly. Wiping away the tears that had come with her musings Sakura missed his movement. One moment her\ was in his house; the next, a kunai stuck in the bark right by her head and he was in the garden. Automatically the girl grabbed her own kunai and sprang out of the tree. Landing on the ground across from Minato she was brought of guard to see him on his knees. Shaking. And moaning. What?

Forgetting that he had attacked her moment before, Sakura's medic instincts took over. She was by his side in an instant. Her hand rested lightly on his back as she reached for her chakra and morphed it into its medical form. Once that was done, she pushed it into the man next to her, ready to get rid of whatever was hurting him. The second her chakra touched his, she flinched. Her mouth dropped in horror, eyes widened in pity.

What had once been a strong chakra system had been reduced to burned out pathways. Minato's chakra was still there, but it was immobile. Stuck, he had no way to mold it to his will. Non ninjutsu. No genjutsu. No fuuinjutsu. Nothing. Hell, he could barely move.

Sakura's eyes welled with tears as she realized that the one who had done this to him was her. Her incomplete jutsu to seal the ninetails had all but ruined one of the greatest Kage ever; and Naruto's father.


	9. Chapter 9

The girl cradled the broken man in her arms, her sobs held at bay through sheer will. She had done this to him. She was the one who'd hurt him. Naruto's father. "No..."

The groan escaped her lips involuntarily. How had this affected her blonde friend? Had she unwittingly made his life harder? If she had, she could never-

"Dad?"

Sakura whipped around, startled by the sudden voice. An enemy nin had gotten past the Namikaze seals? Why hadn't she sensed their presence- Oh. That's why.

The boy who's past she had just been lamenting stood before her, blue eyes full of confusion. He held a kunai uncertainly in his hands. "S-Sakura-chan?" The knife lowered slightly, his defensive posture loosening, "Uh, what're you doing here? Not that I'm not happy you're at my house! I just...uh..." As Naruto scratched his head in confusion, Minato stirred in Sakura's arms.

Glancing down at the former Hokage Sakura called back her medical chakra, lest he question her on where she learned the technique. The pink haired girl shuffled back a little to give the older man room to rise to a sitting position. As he did so, Minato's face twisted in obvious pain. Pain he must be living with daily. Pain Sakura had caused him.

Blinking back her tears, Sakura focused in on what Minato was saying to his son, "..a girl in your class? Ah, that must be why I'd felt no killing intent from her. Don't look at me like that Naru, I didn't mean to hurt your girlfriend, it was just instinct." At Naruto's red faced babbling and Sakura's slightly annoyed look, he amended his words, "Didn't mean to hurt your friend."

While Sakura had been used to people assuming Naruto and her were in a relationship, she didn't want to give his younger version any wrong ideas. He was her brother first and foremost. Besides, he'd been happier with-

"You okay Sakura-chan? My old man didn't mean to hurt you. Like he said, it was just instinct. Ya know? Cuz he was an awesome ninja, my dad was! He was Hokage, did ya know? An' I'll be Hokage too someday! Believe it!"

Shaking off thoughts of the past, Sakura smiled up at her friend. He still had that tendency to babble when embarrassed, "Don't worry Naruto, it was my fault for entering the grounds in such a fashion," Sudden realization that she needed an excuse as to why she was trespassing on Namikaze grounds, the girl's mind raced, "You see, I was..uh..following a, erm, a cat! It was so cute that I couldn't...I couldn't just let it escape without, um, without petting it! Yeah..I really really wanted to pet it."

Since when had she been such a horrible liar? Under Tsunade's tutelage, Sakura had had her fair share of undercover missions. Missions that required she be able to come up with a story on the spot. True, it had been years since she had needed to use that skill, but she shouldn't be this bad!

"Oh, a cat? They are cute little things aren't they? Although, by now it must have run off too far for you to catch up. What a shame," The suspicious comment came from Naruto's father, who would obviously have some doubts about such a weak story. Minato opened his mouth as if to say more; instead, he doubled up in pain. Clutching his stomach, the yellow haired man began a slow walk towards the abandoned couch. It must have taken a lot out of him to attack Sakura, let alone stand and act normally afterwords.

To his credit, Naruto immediately rushed to his father's side, "Dad! Here, let me help you." With an air of having done this many times before, Naruto grabbed onto his father's arm and helped guide him to the couch. They walked slowly, so they wouldn't aggravate Minato further. "Do you need anything? Water or food?" Minato shook his head and fell onto the couch, eyes closing in weariness. Within seconds of laying down, the injured man fell asleep.

Somewhat taken off guard by the fast change of events, Sakura only watched as Naruto gathered up a blanket to put on his father. The nine year old boy then got a cold glass of water and placed it on the table by Minato, so he would have it when he awoke. "Oh Naruto..."

"What?" The blond boy looked at her wearily, as if he expected her to rebuke him for his father's pain.

"You...I should go now. I don't know why I chased that silly cat in the first place." She smiled at her friend, "I'll see you in class tomorrow, yeah?" Naruto, realizing that she didn't hate him for his father's weakness, smiled brightly in return and nodded.

.

.

.

In what would one day be the village of the Sound, Orochimaru paced across his quarters. This was bad. This was very very bad. Damn that Danzo for taking over control. Damn the council for letting him.

All of his plans, all of his precious, carefully constructed plans were useless now. An alliance with the Suna would be pointless, since they had no great hatred of Konoha. Because that stupid old man had gone and forced a treaty on them with his militaristic might. With a ruthlessness the old Konoha would never have shown.

Taking a deep breath the pale man stopped his frantic movements. This was okay. He was okay. It would just take some more time to put his future in motion. All he had to do was face the problems of today step by step.


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up was always going to be a battle, the tired girl decided. Stretching slowly, Sakura felt each of her joints pop satisfyingly. She pushed the sheets off of her stiff legs and climbed out of bed. Looking across at the mirror placed against her wall, the girl lightly touched her long hair. While she didn't mind it too much, it did bothered her slightly. She had always kept her hair short as a testament to the promise she'd made in the Forest of Death; she would protect her loved ones. Now, having made that same promise a second time, Sakura decided that it was time she shorten it again.

Walking towards the discarded kunai pouch on her desk, she pulled out one of the sharper ones. Sakura took a deep breath, preparing herself. This meant more than just a fashion statement. After a prolonged moment of quiet thoughtfulness, she quickly grabbed her hair and ran the kunai through it.

It was done.

Staring at her new image in the mirror, Sakura smiled. He once-long locks fell slightly above her ears, much shorter than they had ever been. Many of the ends were frayed, kunai were no replacement for scissors. Grasping her bangs in her right hand Sakura began to adjust them. They looked quite silly being so long next to her cropped hair. After some concentrated effort her hair looked somewhat presentable. The back of her head was still much shorter than she would have chosen, but there wasn't much to be done now.

Satisfied with her work, Sakura went about her daily routine-after cleaning up the hair scattered around the floor of course. Teeth cleaned, body washed, and customary red jacket on Sakura was ready to head out. She trotted downstairs to grab a loaf of bread for breakfast on the go. Her mother gave her a small goodbye without looking at her, she still hadn't quite forgiven Sakura for abandoning her girly ways.

This was alright in Sakura's books, as she and her mother had never been overly close even when she was an adult. It also helped put off the inevitable meltdown when her haircut was discovered. Her father, who was currently at their family's shop, wouldn't mind as much. He was more appreciative of the shinobi ways and the sacrifices needed to live such a hard life.

Once outside, Sakura leaped onto the rooftops, her usual route to school. The feat was easier now, thanks to the nightly training sessions she forced herself to do. Having decided that mornings were best left to sleep in, she had been doing basic strength and chakra exercises the past week after dark. It also helped that less people were around to question her on her knowledge of both.

Feeling the familiar prickle of chakra at her forehead, Sakura was glad to note that her White Seal was still forming nicely. There was hardly any chakra in it, but the girl knew that all she could do was push on patiently.

Push on patiently...like Naruto had been doing all of his life. This one and the last. There he was a hated demon, waiting for the people to love him. Here he was a happy son, waiting till his father got better.

Good mood waning, Sakura felt sorry for her blonde friend. It had been three days since her encounter with Minato, and Naruto had taken it upon himself to tell her every little thing about his father. How he had been the greatest Hokage ever, saving the village from the horrible Nine-Tailed Beast. How he had sacrificed his own chakra system for the betterment of his people. How Naruto had grown up helping him deal with daily issues, like getting dressed and eating. How Danzo had let Minato keep his Namikaze grounds even though there were only two people living in it. How much Naruto loved his father. How his father would get better one day.

He wouldn't.

Sakura had seen cases like his before, where a person had fried out their chakra system. They were never able to use it again. Now gloomy, the pink haired girl landed in front of the academy. She was sad for her friend, yes. But the day had to go on. Straightening up from her crouch, she wiped off her cloudy expression and walked into the building.

.

.

.

"SAKURA-CHAN!?"

Naruto ran up to the aforementioned girl, mouth agape. "Y-YOUR HAIR!" Sakura stifled a giggle. He was still as open-hearted as ever. "What happened?" He lowered his voice, conscious that other people were staring.

Sakura smiled, "Just trying to change my image." He continue to gape.

"Dobe, it's not that big of a deal." Sasuke had come up behind Sakura while Naruto'd been blabbering. "It's just hair. Doesn't matter if it's short or long" A small gasp issued from Ino at this statement, her hand jumping to her own long blonde locks. "Now get out of my way, I want to sit down."

Naruto puffed up, angered at being talked to like he was a child, "Teme! Who asked you!?"

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

Sakura could only sigh. There were some things that she hadn't missed on Team 7, no matter out nostalgic they were.


	11. Chapter 11

"...Team 7; Naruto Namikaze, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. As impossible as they seemed they were achingly familiar. After a taking a second to collect to her thoughts, she let the repressed grin slide across her face. She was okay. Everything would be okay. She had her team again.

.

.

.

It been three years since Sakura had travelled back in time, finding everything changed yet still the same.

Her comrades were the same, personality-wise. Naruto was loud, Sasuke quiet; Ino flirtatious, Hinata shy; Kiba was snarky, Shino observant; Shikamaru a lazy genius, Choji hungry. They treated each other the same: as friends, rivals, comrades, and love interests. Her parents were the same, her neighbors were the same, her sensei's the same. It was nice, this familiarity. But there were also changes.

There were some changes that were good. Sasuke had his family and his brother. Naruto had his father and the villagers respect. The village was slightly more trusting of its own.

...Others weren't.

Naruto's father could barely move on his own, forcing his son to care for him. Danzo was in control of Konoha, the council disbanded long ago. Her home was far more militaristic than it had been under the fourth's rule. Shinobi took on higher risk missions, some that wouldn't have even been considered before. Low rank assassination missions could now be taken by jonin instead of being solely under Anbu jurisdiction. The biggest shock of all- the graduation test for academy students was to fight their peers until the last one stood. There were no deaths, but injuries were common. If a student didn't meet the required skill expectations they were forced to retake their entire academy lessons again. It was harsh. Still, Sakura had passed along with the rookie nine.

For three years Sakura built up her stamina, both chakra and physical. Her fighting style greatly resembled her former sensei's, Tsunade. No one had questioned Sakura on it since she'd changed it gradually. She'd also learned the basics of medical training under one of the nurses at the hospital. While she wasn't considered a full-fledged medic nin, no one knew about the extra hours Sakura'd put in to regain some of her former skills. Because of the extra training, the girl's chakra reserves had built up to resemble what she'd had at the age of 16. While it wasn't a lot compared to powerhouses like Sasuke and Naruto-even at their young age- she was fairly proud of it.

Along with her physical and chakra training, Sakura had continuously pumped a small amount of chakra into her White Seal. She had mere months left before it was complete...around the time of the chunin exams.

Sakura frowned and huffed. Of course that's when it would come. Making another small noise, Sakura didn't see the looks Naruto was giving her. Team 7 was currently waiting for their sensei, having been told he would come and meet them after class. While Sakura didn't like sitting around for so long, she was happy for it this time. The only one who could be so late, even under Danzo's rule, was the infamous copy nin.

Kakashi would be their sensei again. The mere thought of that made the pink haired girl smile. In the three years she'd only gotten glimpses of him walking about. Without an excuse to talk to him, she found that she'd missed her friend greatly. After Sasuke had died, Naruto'd gone to his work as Hokage with a passion. Feeling abandoned, Sakura'd gravitated towards Kakashi and the two had grown close. It was a friendship she would be glad to make again.

Huffing once again, the girl growled. She knew it would take time for her to be able to talk to Kakashi as an equal. Right now she was a twelve year old genin and he a twenty nine year old jonin. Stupid age difference.

"Aahhh I can't take it! Why are you so grumpy Sakura-chan!?" Naruto, fed up with Sakura's small mumbles, burst out. He walked the few steps to the desk she was sitting on and made a tiny whining sound. "What's wrooonng?"

Not aware she had been verbalizing her complaints, Sakura jumped at his outburst. Well, he was Naruto. Patience wasn't one of his virtues. "I was trying to figure out what you would look like with Sasuke's hairstyle. I didn't like it."

Naruto slumped slightly, "That's it?"

"Dobe." Sasuke cut in with his usual smirk.

"Tem-"

"No! We are not having a contest of who can insult the longest again!" Sakura leapt up from her chair and grabbed Naruto's shirt collar. Dragging him to the opposite side of the room from the Uchiha, she plopped him on the floor. "Stay here. Don't talk." She had enough of their bickering to last a lifetime.

"But Sakuraaa-chaaann."

"No, Naruto. And don't sit there smiling Sasuke, you're being put in the other corner."

"Tch." Came the elaborate response from the dark haired boy.

"Well, I guess I know who wears the pants around here." Sakura flinched. That wasn't Naruto or Sasuke. Whipping her head towards the door she saw the familiar visage of her sensei. "Hello darling students, meet me on top of the roof in five minutes. Or you're dead." With a happy crinkle of his eye Kakashi Hatake disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

Well, this was nostalgic.

Now on the roof of the academy, Sakura plopped herself down on the lowest step of the almost pointless stairs-there were only three, was their presence really necessary? Shifting her weight she found a comfortable position. She leaned back on her hands, eyes following her teammates movements. Sasuke was gracefully placing himself next to her with a bored look on his face. Naruto on the other hand, jumped down to the middle step, almost fell, flailed his arms, and did fall.

Sakura had to smother her laughter as Kakashi leaned against the railing, hand trailing to the pocket that held his precious Icha Icha. "Maa, are you really a ninja?" Kakashi's usually teasing voice was flat. Unemotional. His eye, too, lacked the warmth Sakura was accustomed to. " I won't take any deadbeats on my team."

Sakura had to forcibly push back the unease she felt at Kakashi's new behavior, instead focusing on Naruto's whiny retort to their sensei's words. "Deadbeat? Let me tell you, one day I'm going to bec-"

"How about we introduce ourselves?" His crinkled eye held no laughter. "Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams." Moving his hand away from his pocket, the jonin crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'll start. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no likes. I have no dislikes. No hobbies or dreams." A long pause. Another fake smile. "Your turn."

Sakura shuddered, her right hand going instinctively to her kunai pouch. What happened? This is not her Kakashi.

"Orange boy, you go first."

Startled by the jonin's cold attitude, Naruto had kept quiet until now. Seeing that he was allowed to talk, a somewhat forced grin spread across his face. "My name is Namikaze Naruto. I like ramen, my dad, cooking ramen, Sakura-chan, eating ramen, and Sasuke-Teme cuz I can beat him so much. I dislike spoiled ramen, people who laugh at my dad, and uneaten ramen. My hobbies are..." He was silent a moment. "My hobbies are reading the scrolls in my dads library. And my dream?" Here his smile grew wide, "My dream is to become the greatest Hokage ever!"

Small, dark chuckling followed his statement. Cold dread spread through Sakura as she saw Kakashi's hand raise to cover his laughing mouth. Why is he- "Hokage? You. Hokage?" The silver haired man spoke with disbelief and cruelty. "The Crippled Flash's son, Hokage? You must be joking." Naruto flinched, his eyes flashing red in anger. Clenching his fist, the blonde pushed back the fury that arose whenever he heard the horrible parody of his fathers nickname. Before he could retort though, Kakashi pointed to Sasuke, "Alright, you. Next." The jonin's laughter died, face blank once more.

Naruto could only stand there, speechless, as the jonin ignored him. Sasuke, not knowing what else to do, answered the questions. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like training, reading, tomatoes, and playing the lute. I dislike those who don't try. My hobby is fishing," Sakura's despair over Kakashi is lifted only momentarily- Sasuke likes to fish? "And my dream is to...join the military police." Obviously having held something back, Sasuke waited for Kakashi's judgement.

"Okay. Pinkie, you next."

Nothing? He laughs at Naruto but stays silent with Sasuke? Does he not want to offend the Uchiha clan or...oh. Seeing the ticked off look on Sasuke's face, Sakura understood. No, Kakashi's not worried about clans, he's just treating Sasuke in a way he knows will hurt- he's ignoring the boy. And Sasuke, after years of only being loved by his brother, cannot stand being ignored.

Trembling with a small amount of fear, Sakura answered the suddenly unfamiliar man. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like..my comrades..and training." Her words came out slowly, "My hobby is reading. And..my dream for the future? Is to...to improve it."

One silver eyebrow raised questioningly and he muttered, "Improve? Stupid." The man waited for her reaction to his words. Getting nothing but steely eyes in return, Kakashi snapped, "Your dislikes?"

"I dislike.." Danzo's face flashed in her mind. He did this to Kakashi. It's because of him there's no light in her sensei's eye. Face hardening and spine straightening, Sakura bit back, "I dislike a certain man. A man whom I am going to kill."

"..."

"Kill? Surely you can't be serious. A tiny cherry flower like you going to hurt someone? It's laughable." Standing away from the railing, Kakashi grunts, "Meet me on training ground three tomorrow at 6 in the morning. Don't eat breakfast. Or I'll make you throw it up." With that, he disappeared.

.

.

.

Tall and proud the man stood, facing the widespread window that showed him a perfect view of his village. His lined faced creased in annoyance, brown eyes scrolling across the report he held. That damned Orochimaru..how dare he attempt to attack Konoha? How dare he think himself worthy enough to even breath the air of the leaf? The scum.

Throwing the paper back onto his desk, Danzo turned away from the picturesque view. He would have to send out another ANBU squad to attempt to determine the whereabouts of the foul snake-bastard. After taking years to gain control of Konoha, there was no chance in hell he would give it up to some pathetic usurper.

He had made the leaf village what it was. He had given it the backbone it needed to become a force to be reckoned with. He had been the one to make a name for Konoha. Not Orochimaru.

That man was as good as dead.


	13. Chapter 13

Eating had been the wrong idea, Sakura realized. Walking to the training ground, she mused over yesterday's events. While Kakashi's new attitude had troubled her greatly, she had hoped that today he would be better. Somehow. A foolish thought, but it calmed her somewhat. Now if only her stomach would lie still.

Once team seven arrived, their sensei had wasted no time in starting the exercise. With a short explanation on the fact that not everyone got to be a shinobi after the academy exams, he'd gone straight on to the bell test. No dramatic pause to enjoy the aghast look of the genin. No crinkly-eyed smile at their dismay. Just a cold frown of indifference as he jumped into the middle of the clearing.

Naruto, being the idiot that he was, jumped straight at Kakashi. The older man easily blocked his attack, not even sparing the boy a glance. "Come on now, you must have more than that." Growling, the blonde went in again with no forethought. Swinging his fist wildly he was quickly thrown back against the ground. "Maa, no? Well then, how about little Uchiha there?"

The sliver haired man turned away from the dazed blonde to face the aforementioned boy. Sasuke tensed, crouching low to the ground instinctively. Reaching up to grab his kunai he pounced. While running he brought his hands up to form the seals that would allow him to use his katon justu. As he was about to use it though, the boy found himself thrust backwards-the air leaving his chest and fire dying in his throat.

Kakashi, with less than a blink of the eye, had used a wind-type justu to counter the blow before it had even been made. He wasn't making any effort subdue his power in the wake of his genin's lesser strength. All Sasuke could do was fall.

"Now then, how about we try the killer cherry next?" Rounding on the girl with a fake smile, he waited for her to make the first move. Hopefully she would prove to be a little more entertaining than her comrades.

Until now, Sakura could only watch as both boys were struck down without mercy. Her thoughts had been frozen, finally realizing that she didn't have her Kakashi back. But..hadn't she saved him? Hadn't she ended his lonely life by saving his best friend and teammate Obito? What...what had Danzo done to him?

Anger, pure and slow, burst out of her chest. Danzo. The man she vowed to kill for his pathetic vie for power. For his twisted ideals of what a strong village was. Focusing her hatred on a physical target, she set her sights on the twisted version of her friend and struck.

Opting to take the same direct route as her teammates, Sakura ran forwards. Gathering chakra in her feet, she crammed it down into the ground to give herself more speed. Kakashi, not taken by surprise at all due to his expert chakra tracking skills, aimed a non-to-gentle kick at the girl's head.

Smirking slightly, Sakura let her chakra flow through the familiar pattern of a replacement justu-having no need to use her hands after years of practice. With a billow of smoke, she appeared in the trees to the right of her sensei. Not taking a single moment to rest, she jumped right back into the battle with her kunai drawn.

She took a swipe at his head, knowing she would miss. Letting herself take his counter punch to her stomach, she brought up her other hand and managed to get a small cut on his right arm.

Jumping away, she lost all pretense of thought; instead, falling back into her well-known battle style. Tightening her right hand into a fist, she slammed it into the ground along with a sharp burst of chakra. The ground immediately crumbled away, leaving a gaping hole where Kakashi's feet had been. Panting, Sakura whipped her head around in time to see her opponent make the final seal of the Hell-viewing jutsu. Heh, she supposed some things were simply bound to happen.

Falling into the same stupor she had when she was a genin the first time, Sakura tentatively looked around to see what her mind would show her. The training field was empty, only the giant hole in the ground proof that her battle with Kakashi'd happened at all.

"S...aku...ra..."

Steeling herself, the girl turned around towards the tree-line. There, on the ground, was her team. Her old team. Naruto, in his Hokage apparel, had no lower body. His torso was bleeding profusely, rips and cuts adorned his bruised face. He was dead. Next to him was his ANBU agent, Sasuke, limbs twisted in all the wrong directions. The dark haired man's breathing was harsh, blood pouring out of his mouth. In front of them both lay Kakashi, in his usual jonin outfit. His eyes were glassy, red liquid pooling underneath his broken chest.

She screamed.

.

.

.

Kakashi, able to see this all from outside, took a second look at the pink haired genin. He had thought...could she really be? Frowning without any malice or anger, he lifted the jutsu.


	14. Chapter 14

The old apartment at the end of the block was its usual depressing self. No civilian dared venture near it, lest they lose the money in their pockets. Stray dogs wandered the streets in front of it, looking for any scrape of food to survive. It was not a nice place to be. But to Kakashi, it was all he had of home. His father's grounds were long ago demolished in favor of a small, rarely-used bakery. So this is where he'd ended up.

It was currently after midnight, but for the silver haired man there would be no sleep tonight. The events of the day kept running through his mind, denying him rest. That girl...she couldn't have been the woman who'd saved him all those years ago. It was impossible, right?

Kakashi frowned, scratching at the small mole above the right side of his mouth. He never forgot a chakra signature. Especially when the person had such a great impact on his life. And the woman who'd saved Obito definitely did...So then how did that killer cherry have the same feel? While pink hair was uncommon, it wasn't unheard of that two shinobi would have it. But add to that the chakra...the man growled, frustrated that he couldn't come to a sensible conclusion.

Standing up, he walked over to his rugged refrigerator, intent on finding something passible to eat. Cracking open the door, he scanned the shelves. He reached out and grabbed the least moldy apple he could find. Taking an experimental bite, his thoughts continued on their musings of his student, for that was what she now was- after seeing the girl's power there was no way he would let her fall into the care of one of Danzo's minions. Kakashi sat down on his ratty couch to munch on his apple, which he had deemed edible.

Maybe the two were related somehow. He knew that Sakura's mother was blonde, having checked after dismissing the three idio-his team. The woman that'd saved him could be an aunt? A distant cousin perhaps? Because there was no way...

But in the back of his mind, Kakashi knew intuitively that the woman who'd saved his best friend and the young girl on his team were one and the same. However impossible the concept might seem.

.

.

.

"Ne, aniki?"

"Yes Sasuke?"

"...Am I weak..?"

Itachi, bending over his kunai, stopped and stared at his younger brother. While the two were quite close, Sasuke had never been one to admit his fears or insecurities. What had brought this on? Meeting his new team yesterday? Smiling gently, he responded, "Compared to others your age, no. Against a chunin, it depends. With a jonin, yes." Seeing Sasuke's disgruntled face he added, "But that is in no way a bad thing. You still have much time to grow."

Sasuke continued to frown, thinking about the bell test he'd taken the other day. While he himself could do nothing against their sensei, that Sakura girl had gotten in a scratch. Hell, she'd split the ground open with only a punch! Where had she learned such a technique? There was no way her civilian parents taught her that; he'd seen them picking her up from class a few time, and noted their merchant clothing...not that he cared. It was just something he'd noticed.

Tch. Still, there was no way she could be so strong. It just didn't make sense. She must be hiding something.

.

.

.

"So your team mates were good then?" Minato, lying down on his familiar blue couch, asked his rather subdued son. Naruto had come home yesterday in a foul mood, not speaking much and going to bed as soon as he could. While he'd been worried, Minato'd chosen to let the young boy settle down before questioning him.

"...yeah. I got Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme." Naruto replied, staring down into his bowl of ramen.

"And your sensei, was he nice?"

A long moment of silence followed his question. Just as he was about to ask again, Naruto spoke, "He called you the Crippled Flash... And laughed at my dream to become Hokage." A small tear fell from his face into the bowl, "I don't like him."

Minato's face fell. Again, his son was burdened because of him. As if the maturity needed to take care of his father wasn't enough, some villagers felt the need to belittle him because of his pathetic excuse for a parent. About to reply and reassure his son, the former Yondaime let out a low groan. His face crumpled in intense pain.

His chakra coils would constrict multiple times a day, causing a burning feeling to take over his senses completely. Naruto, used to this, could only watch in guilty sadness as his father lay there hurting. If only he was strong enough to help his dad...

More tears disturbed the surface of his ramen.

.

.

.

Sakura, alone in her room, bolted upright. The morning sunlight shone through her window and illuminated the sort pink locks dangling in front of her face.

The girl took a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm her breathing. That night she'd relived the hell viewing jutsu Kakahsi'd put on her. Once again she saw the broken bodies of her loved ones. Once again she could do nothing to help them.

Her dry eyes burned for lack of tears.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the wait, I hit writers block for a bit! I just wanted to thank you all for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing this story. This is my first real attempt at fan fiction and the response from you guys makes me so happy! I look at all of my reviews and take your comments into consideration, they even help me move the story in different directions. So thank you!

.

.

.

.

Sakura almost laughed. Almost. Funny how things could change so drastically and yet here she was, walking out of Konoha on her first B-class mission. Like nothing was different.

Technically the mission was C-class; but once the two chunin attacked, Kakashi would bump it up in rank. Speaking of the chunin, Sakura glanced down casually at the puddle she passed. It hadn't rained in days. Peeking out of the corner of her eyes she was able to catch a glimpse of Kakashi. He had put his book away, knowing something was wrong.

Sakura felt a small shiver go down her spine as she looked at her sensei. Over the past few weeks team 7 had gone on multiple missions together. Surprisingly, they were fairly mundane. Considering Danzo's harsh rule of Konoha, Sakura was confused as to why he let genin, even freshly made ones, waste time by picking weeds in a civilians garden. But she supposed it would boost civilian opinions of ninja if shinobi took care of menial tasks for them. They'd feel less compelled to complain to their Hokage. If nothing else, Danzo was good at the politic game.

During their missions, Kakashi was fairly tame. He would simply sit in a convenient spot and read Icha Icha until they finished. Then he would leave. No smile, no joking, no teasing. Just a greeting and silence. The only thing that gave Sakura hope that her old Kakashi was still there was his continued tardiness. While he no longer gave excuses to being two hours late, it was a small comfort to the girl all the same.

But that wasn't was scared Sakura. Kakashi hadn't mentioned the bell test at all. Not to question her precise chakra control, or the fact that she punched a hole in the ground, and nothing on the hell viewing jutsu. Why? No normal genin would be able to do what she could unless they came from a prestigious clan, which she obviously did not. And would he not wonder about his presence in her worst nightmare? Was he not...was he not Danzo's man?

A blossom of hope flowered in the girl's chest. Her Kakashi could still be there somewhere. Smothering a smile, Sakura continued walking on the road and waited for the chunin to attack. A few moments later, they did.

.

.

.

A loud noise echoed from behind Naruto, who took a moment to register what it meant. He'd just been glaring at their stupid contractor, Tazuna, for drinking while they were protecting him. Did he not realize that they were ninja and that they deserved some respect? The stupid old man.

Turning around to see what'd made the sound, the yellow haired boy was shocked to see his sensei caught in a chain. Two creepy shinobi surrounded him and with a yank of their arms, Kakashi-sensei was ripped into tiny pieces.

Too shocked to react, Naruto could do nothing as the enemy nin appeared on either side of him. A whispered "two down" emanated from on of them before they zoomed in for the attack. Naruto closed his eyes in acceptance of his inevitable death. If only he could say goodbye to his dad...

_**No...**_

A screaming red force within the boy exploded. Caught up in its power, Naruto let it take control. He twisted harshly out of the path of the chain, still covered in Kakashi-sensei's blood. Crouching on the ground, Naruto tackled the closest nin. He pummeled the chunin with blind fury. Punch after punch landed on the enemy nin's face as Naruto let out a low, satisfied growl. He would not accept death so easily.

.

.

.

Sakura chocked back surprise at Naruto's sudden counterattack. Last time Sasuke had to come in and save him. Now the blonde was beating the life out of the masked enemy nin. Sasuke was facing the other shinobi, leaving her to-once more-protect the client. Again, some things didn't change.

Shifting closer to Naruto, Sakura gazed at his face. This wasn't how he normally fought, was something different? Ah, there was her answer. This wasn't Naruto, this was the Kuubi. His blood red eyes were a dead giveaway. Frowning in confusion, Sakura stared as her teammate threw mercy to the wind. Hadn't it taken Sasuke almost dying for the fox to come out last time? Naruto'd never went into detail about what happened when he fought Haku, but she could fill in the blanks on her own.

While this new development was disturbing, Sakura could do nothing at the moment. Over the years as a jonin, she'd become a shinobi to the core. It was her duty to watch Tazuna and that she would do. Besides, she was fairly certain the nin Sasuke was fighting would go for her soon, if the looks he threw her way were any indication. Still, her eyes were drawn to Naruto and his twisted transformation.

Worry filled her as she watched her friend beat a man to death, not noticing that Kakashi had come up behind her, kunai drawn.


	16. Chapter 16

A quick glint of light on steel played across the periphery of her vision accompanied by a light touch on her shoulder, "Maa, Little Killer, you're not going to help your teammates?"

Green eyes glanced upwards, non-perturbed, at her sensei, "Why? They're doing fine and I need to protect Tazuna." She blinked, "'Little Killer'? I thought it was Killer Cherry?" Kakashi only laughed in response.

He took a step back, forming the seal that would transport him into the nearby trees, "Well, I'll leave you to it then." He vanished in an explosion of smoke.

Sakura visibly relaxed. Kakashi hadn't put the kunai away for the conversation, keeping it in his hand as an unspoken threat. Still, something about him seemed less..cold..than it had before. There was no malice in his eye as he looked at her. "Sakura-chan!"

At the cry from Naruto, who's eyes had returned to their normal blue while she'd been distracted, Sakura whipped around to face the oncoming ninja. The chunin Naruto-Kuubi' had beaten up was unconscious beneath the blonde, but Sasuke's had slipped out of his grasp to face an easier target-Sakura.

Crouching slightly, Sakura pulled out a freshly sharpened kunai. Taking a mere second to aim she threw it at the man. He jerked his head out of it's path, losing his balance as he did so. Sakura took the chance and aimed a kick straight for his gut. It landed with a sickening crunch. The enemy nin flew through the air to crash heavily into a tree along the side of the road.

Bringing her foot back down, Sakura also retracted the chakra she'd used to power up her hit. The chunin she'd struck was dead, that kick would have burst his innards apart. Sakura didn't spare the man another glance as she walked over to where his companion lay under her friend. She gently moved Naruto aside, "Kakashi...sensei, you can come out now." It was still hard to remember to add the "sensei" at the end of his name.

When there was no response from the silver haired man, Sakura sighed, "I would have thought you'd want to talk to him, but I guess not." She pulled out a fresh kunai, "Then there's no reason to keep him alive, since I obviously don't know any interrogation techniques," A lie. She knew many.

With no sound or rush of chakra Kakashi was there taking the weapon out of her hand, "Now, now Little Killer, no need to get ahead of yourself." Sakura decided she didn't really like that nickname. "Stay here my precious students, this will only take a moment." Kakashi grabbed the nin roughly while pulling out a senbon. Both jonin and unconscious chunin vanished.

.

.

.

Once they were gone, Sakura looked around. Naruto was next to her with no sign of injuries, good. Turning her head she could see Sasuke staring at the ninja she'd kicked. Her team mate was frowning heavily, although he had no wounds to speak of. What could be bothering him? Her eyes fell on the dead chunin. Oh.

"If I hadn't killed him he would have gotten me first." Sasuke jerked slightly at Sakura's words. She watched as he rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, physically wiping the scowl off of his face. In this timeline, he had probably never seen someone die. At least not in battle. "Come over here, we can wait together for Kakasi-sensei"

As she said that, Sakura tugged at Naruto's sleeve. He still wore the black t-shirt with his clan symbol on it, although he'd forsaken the orange pants for tan ones. Just another reminder that he was different from her Naruto. At least his face remained the same. Happy blue eyes, scars on his cheeks and the smile that never really left his face. Even now, covered in another man's blood, the tiny grin was still there. But that might just be because she was looking at him; he always had a smile for her.

A slight shift beside Sakura was the only tell that Sasuke'd sat down. He'd refrained from commenting on the chunin, giving in to his usual silence. Staring at him, Sakura noted the differences from her Sasuke. While his shirt still held the Uchiha symbol on its back, it was black instead of the blue she was used to seeing. He'd traded his white shorts for long black pants. She was fine with that though, the shorts had always made him seem childish. Something he was definitely not.

His hair was somewhat different, now that she had the time to notice. It was less styled, more messy. Like his older self, Sakura realized. She touched her own shorn locks and repressed a smile. Maybe she didn't have her old team back completely, but she was happy with what she had.

.

.

.

When Kakashi came back he told them all of the threat Tazuna'd hidden. The mission was now B rank as she'd expected. Naruto, like his older self, vehemently suggested they continue with it anyways. Kakashi put up less of a fight than he had the last time. Sasuke smiled when they were told they could go on. Sakura simply adjusted her backpack, eager to continue.

They walked on.


End file.
